Home improvement retailer Kingfisher has announced progress on its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments in its latest Responsible Business report, 'Better Homes. Better Lives. For Everyone.'

Kingfisher said it exceeded its science-based target for reducing operational carbon emissions (scope 1 and 2) by 62% since 2016-17, surpassing the initial goal of a 37.8% reduction by 2025-26.

The company is also making headway on reducing emissions throughout its supply chain and from customer product use (scope 3), achieving a 41.6% reduction per £1m ($1.26m) of turnover since 2017/18 - exceeding its 2025 target of 40%.

Kingfisher says it is committed to becoming a net-zero emissions company by 2040 and is finalising a scope 3 net-zero target with supporting key performance indicators.

Additionally, the company is collaborating with its vendors to establish common decarbonisation goals.

Kingfisher is also nearing its target of using 100% responsibly sourced wood and paper in its products by 2025-26, with 96.6% currently achieved.

The company is actively involved in forest conservation efforts, having invested $750,000 in community-managed forest projects.

Sustainable Home Products (SHPs) now represent nearly half (49.4%) of the company's total sales, exceeding £6.4bn in 2023-24.

This puts Kingfisher on track to achieve its target of 60% of sales from SHPs by 2025-26.

Kingfisher said it is also fostering a more inclusive workplace.

The company is progressing towards its gender diversity goals, with the percentage of women in senior leadership roles reaching 28.6% and 39.6% in management positions, exceeding targets set for 2025-26.

Kingfisher surpassed its target of providing five million hours of skills training to employees by 2025-26 by delivering more than 8.3 million hours since 2019-20.

Additionally, the company launched a new initiative to support more than 20,000 colleagues in completing apprenticeships or formal qualifications by 2030-2031.

The company said it also prioritises giving back to communities and exceeded its goal of helping more than two million people in need by 2025-26 through product donations, expertise sharing, and volunteer time.

More than £6.1m was invested in community projects in 2023-24, reaching over 1.2 million people this year alone.

Kingfisher's progress on its ESG goals demonstrates the company's dedication to sustainability, employee well-being, and community engagement within the home improvement retail sector.